Tales of Earth
by Nicor Warg-Fyrweorm
Summary: As all cultures, humanity has a vast amount of tales and stories that border the supernatural, with creatures inspired by glimpses caught by their ancestors while discovering the world. Nowadays, all fairy tales and fantasy creatures are easily recognized by the natives as such… But Earth houses more than humans now, and it's time the Cybertronian learn about the Tales of Earth.


**Title:** Sleep, Child

**Creature:** Nº 23, Bogeyman [It's explained in the author note at the bottom]

**Character:** Rewind

**Genre:** Angst, Suspense

**Rating:** T

**Summary:** On his quest for knowledge, newspark Rewind comes across a nursery rhyme about a creature that will devour children that do not go to sleep. He assumes it's just a fairy tale, but that night, unable to recharge, Rewind hears something in the room...

* * *

They may both be Blaster's Cassettes, but the twins Eject and Rewind are almost as different as day and night.

Especially when it comes to hobbies.

Eject likes sports, physical activities, anything that can be done outside. Rewind likes knowledge, learning, activities that test his processor.

Almost an orn after their activation, about five days, even the humans can tell them apart depending on whatever they might be doing, despite their frames being identical and their color schemes similar. Both share the same white markings and blue visor, but Eject's plating is deep blue and Rewind's is black.

"Hello, Rewind. What are you looking up now?" Chip asks, stopping next to the enthralled Cassette studying the screen.

"I'm researching nursery rhymes and lullabies."

"Really?" the scientist asks, surprised yet amused, and Rewind turns around to face him.

"Yes, really. I saw Carly singing to Daniel in the Rec Room, and I thought Blaster would like to know more about them, since he really likes music and Eject and I are literally babies, according to human standards. After all, in Cybertronian time measurements, we're not even a day old," he answers, earning a nod in acknowledgement.

"Hard to remember that at times. You two are far more mature than even some adults," Chip chuckles, and Rewind straightens with pride.

"Well, of course!"

Chip leaves after a couple of minutes of chatting, when Perceptor comes fetch him to tell him the lab has been cleared of any hazardous byproducts of a previous experiment and they can get back to whatever they had planned, so the Cassette returns to his own work.

After some looking around, Rewind finds himself stopping all activity before re-checking his newest discovery.

_Sleep, child_

_Go to sleep now_

_Because The Coconut is coming_

_And he will eat you_

Well, that would be the literal translation, but even after looking for more information on that _El Coco_ creature, the Cassette is left without any idea what to think.

The humans make up evil creatures to threaten their children into behaving, like the Sack Man, who will take them away if they don't obey their parents. But to _eat_ the kids, like The Bogeyman? Oh, and this El Coco is even worse, because it isn't misbehaving that will bring forth the monster, but an inability to enter recharge. Don't humans _know_ their recharge cycles aren't as easily initiated as a Cybertronian's, and thus it could take them some time for energetic children to get to sleep?

"I guess they would say that so that the kids stay in bed instead of running around, but still… humans are _weird,"_ the Cassette muses out loud, helm tilted in curiosity and confusion, before shrugging the whole thing off and renewing his search.

"Rewind!" someone calls and, so focused was he in his research, Rewind can't help but startle, though he immediately calms down and smiles widely when he sees his brother and their Carrier on the door. "Come on, Blaster says it's time to recharge."

"You don't sound too appalled at the prospect of lying around doing literally nothing for the next three days," Rewind tells his twin as he turns off the computer and joins them, and the other stretches with a groan.

"Are you kidding? I'd rather be out there practicing my throwing, but Prime swept the floor with my aft. Mech, he's _really good_ at basketball," Eject bemoans, earning some chuckling from his brother and their Carrier. "So, yeah, I'd like to be outside, but I'm _exhausted._ I think I'm going to enjoy this recharging thing."

"Trust me, Eject, you will. Besides, recharging is essential to Cybertronian, so it isn't as if you have a choice about skipping it," Blaster answers happily, and, soon enough, they're in the Communications Officer's room. "So, what do you say? Grapple and Hoist were pretty excited about these."

Both Cassettes immediately hurry inside, examining the tiny berths added to the main berthroom, padded with soft mesh-cloth and being the perfect size and at the perfect height for the twins.

"They're amazing!" they answer in unison, and Blaster gives them a bright smile.

"Be sure to tell Grapple and Hoist next you see them. They were both really happy about working on them."

"Will do, Blaster."

"Good. Now, time to recharge. Sleep well, my creations."

"Goodnight, Carrier!"

When the twins are nestled in their new berths, and after a last smile, Blaster turns the lights off and lays down on his own.

And, soon enough, all Rewind can hear are the soothing hums of recharging systems from both his Carrier and brother.

_This is amazing. The berth is really comfortable, the padding is of excellent quality, and we get to sleep in Blaster's room! And together! Although Sideswipe and Sunstreaker also share a room, as do the Dinobots and the Aerialbots and the Protectobots, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised we get to do so too. Oh, I forgot to tell Blaster about the songs! Though maybe he knows about them already, he's been on Earth a lot longer than us. But if so, why didn't he sing any lullabies? Maybe he thinks we're mature enough already? Chip said so, so maybe he really thinks Eject and I would feel insulted. But I would **really** like to be sung a lullaby before getting to recharge, and I think Eject wouldn't object to it either… Well, I'll ask after we online again, surely Blaster will love to know he can 'mother' us some more before we are **really** mature enough for that. After all, this is just our first orn, it must take far more than just a couple of orns for newly transferred Cybertronian to be actually considered mature… Maybe I should research that next…_

_Wait. I'm not recharging. But I activated the recharge protocols… they **are** active. Why aren't they working? Is something wrong with me?_

_No, no, surely not. Maybe they just need some more time… but Blaster and Eject are already recharging. There **must** be something wrong with my systems!_

_Alright, don't panic. Just get up, go to the Repair Bay, and ask Ratchet. Or First Aid, or Hoist, whoever is there. It may be a little thing, an easy fix, and I'll be back even before anyone notices I'm not—_

The door hisses open.

Rewind hasn't moved from his berth, busy as he has been calming himself down and putting a plan together, and his twin and Carrier are recharging.

So, who—

_Go to sleep now_

_Because El Coco is coming…_

But it can't be, it's just a nursery rhyme, a _fantasy,_ something humans made up to trick children, and Rewind isn't human so it _can't be—_

Steps. Soft, quiet, but obviously there.

And coming closer.

_Calm down, calm down! Just make it look as if you're recharging, surely it won't notice, it's used to human kids, so it must not know the difference between humans and Cybertronian, just stay calm—_

And closer.

_Be still, be quiet, it will go away, it will go away—_

And stop. Right next to Rewind's berth.

For an instant, the Cassette hopes that he will hear it turn away and leave, that he has managed to fool it.

A hand grabs Rewind's arm.

"_BLASTER!"_

El Coco jerks away at the terrified scream, the Cassette rushing out of his berth and to Blaster's as soon as the creature's grip vanishes. Pale blue optics blaze to activation as his Carrier straightens with a jolt despite having been calmly recharging a nanoklik before, and well-known warm plating welcomes Rewind into the Communications Officer's safe hold while plasma bullets brighten the room.

There's a pained shout and clanging of metal almost drowned by the now blaring alarms, but Rewind doesn't pay them attention, curling as close as he can to his Carrier when the mech jerks in front of a startled and disoriented Eject's berth, facing the monster lying against the wall with his gun trained on the Energon-stained shadow—

Wait, _Energon?_

The lights turn on so suddenly that Rewind has to offline his visor before adjusting the settings, his voice box still letting out soft whimpers and hiccups and his frame badly shaking. When he can finally see again, he finds himself utterly confused.

"Blaster, what the Pit?! You almost hit my helm!" Sideswipe exclaims from his slumped position against the blackened wall, looking more than a little startled and scared.

A servo presses on a leaking wound on his abdominal plating while the other arm dangles useless due to a damaged shoulder joint.

"What the Pit _yourself!_ What are you doing in my quarters and what did you do to my creations?!" his Carrier shouts back, his usual calm and cheerful demeanor now downright menacing and threatening.

Not even Jazz and Mirage bursting through the door and stopping in shock at the scene are able to make the Communications Officer lower his weapon.

"I did nothing, I swear! I just thought it would be funny to paint them like Frenzy and Rumble, but I didn't do anything!" Sideswipe hurries to answer, worry clear in his voice when he finds himself still Blaster's target, and that's when Rewind notices the paint splattered on the floor and the spilt cans.

"It wasn't El Coco?" the Cassette asks in a whimper, and _finally_ Blaster puts his weapon down and turns his attention to something other than Sideswipe, changing his hold on his creation so than he's embracing him tighter while he looks him over for injuries.

"El Coco? The Bogeyman?" Jazz asks from the doorway, while Mirage talks to the mechs outside, attracted by the ruckus, the alarm no longer blaring. "Rewind, buddy, that ain't real."

"It's alright, Rewind, I have you now. Nothing will hurt you," Blaster whispers, hugging him closer as the smaller mech slowly stops shaking.

"I was so scared! I couldn't enter recharge and I thought there might be something wrong with me and I was about to go see Ratchet or Hoist or First Aid when I heard the door opening and I remembered El Coco eats the children that aren't sleeping when they should and Eject and I are literally babies, we're not even an orn old, and I thought—"

"Shush, my little one, it's alright. There's nothing wrong with you," Blaster cuts calmly, and, feeling the warm servo caressing his back, Rewind quiets down. "It's hard for the recharge protocols to take hold when the processor is as active as yours, you just need to stop thinking for a bit," Carrier adds, a hint of humor in his voice, and the Cassette can't help but let out a soft relieved chuckle that sounds more like a sob. "Now, where did you hear about El Coco?"

"I was doing some research on nursery rhymes and lullabies because I heard Carly singing to Daniel and I thought that maybe you'd like to sing to us too?" he answers perhaps a bit too quickly, his voice weakening and turning more like a question at the end.

And, as he straightens a bit, he sees Blaster's startled expression turn into a loving smile.

"Oh, Rewind…"

"Carrier? I'd like a lullaby too, please," Eject adds softly, and the Communications Officer immediately kneels down to embrace his other Cassette, who quickly huddles closer to his twin.

"Of course I will sing to you, my little ones."

"Yes, really spark-warming, now can someone contact a Medic? I'm leaking here!"

"Don't worry, Sideswipe, I've already contacted Ratchet _and_ Prowl, and they're more than thrilled to help out here."

"… I'm never pranking you again, Blaster. _Or_ your Cassettes."

"You better not."

* * *

**AN:** And there you have it, the first chapter of _Tales of Earth,_ which is my take on the _100 Creatures Challenge_ from **Sootness** (DeviantArt), which, of course, means there'll be 99 more chapters centered around our dear Cybertronian dealing with mythical/fantastic creatures of human lore!

Of course, whether they are real or just tales (like this instance), is something that will have to be seen as they come.

Now, the way I'm doing this is with a randomizer: I put 100 names of Transformers, randomized them, and then assigned them to the respective creatures according to the number. All about each chapter will be at the top, as you've seen with this one.

Oh, and just in case, the chapters themselves are all independent, I just thought it better to put them in the same fic. As thus, there's no timeline, and I won't be following the order of the creatures, rather working on those that I get inspiration from first.

Which means that, as seen above, this one is number 23, Bogeyman, and the assigned character was Rewind.

And about the chapter: I know it's supposed to be about the Bogeyman, but I call artist's interpretation. Instead of using the Bogeyman himself, I used the Spanish version of the Bogeyman, the one I grew up with, El Coco. And yes, the nursery rhyme _does_ say El Coco will eat the kids that aren't sleeping. Strangely enough, having my dad sing it to me before bedtime is one of my fondest memories... I'll just say it's because my dad is awesome and leave it at that XD


End file.
